Rubicon Trail and Resource Information
Weather
When traveling in the Sierra Nevada mountain range, prepare for sudden changes in weather. Thunder and lightning storms may occur in the spring and summer months, and daily temperatures can be highly unpredictable. Temperature fluctuations can be extreme—we often see 90-degree weather during the day that dips down to the 40s at night. Always pack layers including both warm and cold weather clothing to accommodate these drastic changes.
Fire Restrictions
The Rubicon Trail travels through the El Dorado and Tahoe National Forests, and is often under fire restrictions, even if the trail and it's surroundings seem wet. Users must be responsible for knowing whether fire restrictions are in place. Use the link(s) below and watch for fire condition signs that should be posted at every major Forest entry road.
Eldorado National Forest
Regardless of fire restrictions, permits are required for any type of open flame. They are free and available at any Forest Service office or from any Forest Service official. Please use fire responsibly.
Visitors may use charcoal and/or gas fires/stoves outside of developed campgrounds as long as they are in possession of a valid California Campfire Permit and follow the regulations.
OHV Trails Information
Rubicon Trail Restrictions (50 feet Right of Way)
By Court Order (due to a lawsuit filed in 2005 against the USDA Forest Service), all vehicles must remain within 25 feet of center line of the Rubicon Trail -- a non-maintained county road. In other words, the USFS's property on both sides of the Rubicon Trail, are temporarily closed to all vehicles. You must keep your vehicle within the county easement (50 feet total). Signs are up, but are not always reliable. FOTR and county Sheriff personnel try to keep the signage current, but you can't count on it. You must know where the trail is.
IMPORTANT: The trail is only physically 8 to 10 feet wide; but the easement is 50 feet. This means there's some room to pull over here and there to let folks by, but it does NOT mean a free-for-all in that 50 feet of easement. Do not drive over vegetation or drive where vehicles have not gone. Stay on the well worn trail.
Fines for off trail travel (resource damage) range from $175 to $275 or more for violations of the 50 foot easement (25 feet of center line).
Note: you can camp or walk anywhere you want; you just can't take your vehicle outside the easement. Also note that Rubicon Soda Springs is private property. The property owners have their own camping rules that you need to know when you use this private land. Contact the caretaker when you camp there.
ALSO: The private property around Spider Lake remains closed to all vehicular access. All Private Property along the Rubicon Trail route needs to be respected. We need to stay within the trail boundaries at all times. The Private Property owners are adamant that they do not want resource damage on their lands (as well as the USFS).
Make sure you have a current map!
Route Designation has been completed on the Eldorado National Forest and the recognized routes are the only trails you can legally drive. There are large fines for driving off trail; the fine goes up if you have caused resource damage.
The Tahoe National Forest is in the middle of Route Designation. Please contact them directly if you have any questions. The Lake Tahoe Management Unit has completed an inventory of all legal OHV routes within the basin. They did this some time ago.
Be Prepared
Radio Communications
Jeepers Jamboree does not require participants to carry radios, but several options are available for communicating on the Rubicon Trail. For additional guidance, see the Rubicon Trail Foundation’s trail communications page.
CB-Radio
Requires no license and provides reliable short-range communication (1 to 2 miles), which makes it well suited for talking between vehicles. Choose a channel for your group to use together, or scan channels to pick up information from other drivers.Amateur (Ham) Radio
Ham radio is the most reliable way to communicate on the Rubicon Trail. It is the only radio system capable of reaching beyond the trail in an emergency, and it has helped save many lives over the years.An FCC license is required to operate ham radio. Range and available frequencies depend on the operator’s license class, and range can be extended through repeaters, which are typically maintained by local clubs. For license information, visit QRZ.com
Quick Reference
- Local trail coverage (Loon Lake to the Tahoe staging area): 444.9875 MHz (+), PL 156.7. The repeater is located within the Rubicon, so coverage is strong.
- Communications outside the Rubicon: 444.9875 MHz (+), PL 107.2. This is linked to 146.805 MHz (-), PL 123.0, on the west side of the Sierra.
Amateur Radio Frequencies
805 Repeater System (KA6GWY)
| Name | Frequency | Tone | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 805 El Dorado (805-R) | 146.805 MHz, -0.600 offset | PL 123.0 | Covers the west slope of El Dorado County and the Sacramento area. Linked to the Rubicon Repeater. |
| 805 Tahoe (805TAH) | 145.350 MHz output, 146.205 MHz input | PL 123.0 | Serves the Tahoe Basin. Linked 24/7 to the 805 El Dorado repeater. |
| 805 Simplex (805-S) | 146.805 MHz simplex | None | The output frequency of the KA6GWY repeater. It lets you talk directly with nearby companions while still listening to the repeater, without tying it up when simplex will work just fine. |
Rubicon Repeater
| Name | Frequency | Tone | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rubicon Repeater, Not Linked (RUBI-R) | 444.9875 MHz, +5.00 offset | PL 156.7 | Located near Spider Lake, with coverage along the Rubicon Trail except east of the Barker Meadows OHV trail. |
| Rubicon Repeater, Linked (RUBI-L) | 444.9875 MHz, +5.00 offset | PL 107.2 | Same as RUBI-R, but this tone also links to the 805 El Dorado and 805 Tahoe repeaters. |
| Rubicon Simplex (RUBI-S) | 444.9875 MHz simplex | PL 107.2 | The output frequency of the Rubicon repeater. It lets you talk directly with nearby companions while still listening to the repeater, without tying it up when simplex will work just fine. A tone is used because some users’ handheld radios decode PL. |
Many other simplex frequencies are available for vehicle-to-vehicle communication. For a directory of local repeaters, search online for an “El Dorado County ham repeater directory.”
GMRS
The General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS) is not ham radio and does not require passing an exam. Many OHV users are moving from CB to GMRS for its stronger performance.
Basic setup: Set your GMRS radio to Channel 18 with repeater enabled and PL (CTCSS) tone 18. Advanced setup: 462.625 MHz, +5.00 offset, PL 123.0.
Repeater Rules
Please follow these four rules on the Rubicon GMRS repeater:
- No foul language.
- No playing music.
- No interfering with other users (jamming).
- Use a non-repeated GMRS channel to talk with nearby companions. This keeps the repeater clear for communication across the Rubicon when it is needed.
Emergency Helicopter operation
CALSTAR is on 156.075
Handheld radio